Mobile communication terminal including menu that can be constructed by using mobile flash

ABSTRACT

A mobile communication terminal having a menu that can be constructed using a mobile flash includes an input device section for inputting a reproduction request of a flash movie; a Man Machine Interface (MMI) loading a corresponding movie file based on the reproduction request; a bridge module performing a communication with the MMI to monitor navigation events; a memory section for storing a Extendible Markup Language (XML) document having information about a handset configuration and a menu tree configuration of the terminal; an engine section parsing the XML document read from the memory section to map the XML document with the flash movie and analyzing the parsed XML document according to the navigation events; and a play section for outputting the analyzed XML document contents through a display section.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/686,822, filed on Jan. 13, 2010, and issued as U.S. Pat. No.8,433,367 on Apr. 30, 2013, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/217,175, filed on Jul. 2, 2008, and issued asU.S. Pat. No. 7,668,569 on Feb. 23, 2010, which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/255,610, filed on Oct. 21, 2005 andissued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,412,262 on Aug. 12, 2008, which claimspriority from and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No.10-2004-0101848, filed on Dec. 6, 2004, all of which are herebyincorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminalincluding a menu that can be universally constructed by using a mobileflash.

2. Discussion of the Background

A mobile flash is a general term of a solution capable of adapting aflash of macro-media to a mobile environment to produce and reproducecontents.

In a prior mobile communication terminal having a mobile flash mountedthereto, the mobile flash is simply used to download a flash movie or toreproduce the downloaded flash movie.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a mobile communication terminal havinga mobile flash mounted thereto, according to the prior art. As shown,the mobile communication terminal having the mobile flash mountedthereto may comprise a mobile input device section 11, a Man MachineInterface (MMI) 12, a mobile flash engine section 13, a mobile flashplay section 14, and a display section 15.

An operating process of a flash movie in a handset terminal will bedescribed with reference to FIG. 1.

Firstly, when a user requests reproduction of the flash movie throughthe mobile input device section 11 such as keyboard, a request signal istransmitted to the MMI 12. A task taking charge of the MMI 12 loads acorresponding flash movie file based on the request signal.

In the mean time, the MMI 12 performs a focus changing with the mobileflash engine section 13. Thereby, the mobile flash engine section 13processes data received from the mobile input device section 11 togenerate data to be reproduced, and the mobile flash play section 14converts the generated data into a format that can be displayed throughthe display section 15 of the mobile communication terminal. At thistime, it is possible to process a user interaction such as basic keyinput of the user through the mobile input device section 11.

The flash movie is reproduced on the display section of the mobilecommunication terminal through the above-mentioned procedures. Likethis, the mobile communication terminal having the mobile flash mountedthereto according to the prior art can provide only functions ofdownloading and reproducing the flash movie contents.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention disclose a technologyof using a mobile flash in constructing a menu of a mobile communicationterminal. In other words, an embodiment of the present inventiondiscloses a mobile communication terminal capable of universallyconstructing and updating a menu of the mobile communication terminalusing a mobile flash. In addition, an embodiment of the inventiondiscloses a universal and efficient menu and to provide an easiness ofproducing a flash movie to a contents provider by constructing andupdating a menu tress using a flash movie in a mobile communicationterminal having a mobile flash mounted thereto. Thus, a user of a mobilecommunication terminal may personally construct a menu suitable touser's taste using a flash movie.

An embodiment of the invention discloses a mobile communication terminalhaving a mobile flash mounted thereto, the terminal comprising: a mobileinput device section for inputting a reproduction request of a flashmovie; a Man Machine Interface (MMI) loading a corresponding movie filebased on the reproduction request; a communication bridge moduleperforming a communication with the MMI to monitor navigation events; amemory section for storing a Extendible Markup Language (XML) documenthaving information about a handset configuration and a menu treeconfiguration of the mobile communication terminal; a mobile flashengine section parsing the XML document read from the memory section tomap the XML document with the flash movie and analyzing the parsed XMLdocument according to the navigation events; and a mobile flash playsection for outputting the analyzed XML document contents through adisplay section.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will be more apparent from the following detailed descriptiontaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a structure of a mobile communicationterminal having a mobile flash mounted thereto according to the priorart;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a structure of a mobile communicationterminal according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing an operating process of a mobile flash inthe mobile communication terminal according to an embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 4 is a view showing an example of a menu tree configuration of amobile communication terminal;

FIG. 5 is a view showing an example of a XML document type-menu treeconfiguration; and

FIG. 6 is a view showing an example of the menu tree in FIG. 4 preparedwith a XML document.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

A mobile communication terminal can construct a menu thereof using amobile flash. For doing so, the mobile communication terminal stores aXML document having information about handset configuration and menutree configuration in an internal memory, in advance. When constructingthe menu, a corresponding mobile flash basically provides diversefunctions and script languages for parsing the XML document and handlinga document object model (DOM). Hereinafter, an embodiment of theinvention will be more specifically described with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

A mobile communication terminal according to an embodiment of theinvention may comprise, as shown in FIG. 2, a mobile input devicesection 21, a MMI 22, a communication bridge module 23, a mobile flashengine section 24, a memory section 25, a mobile platform interfacesection 26, a mobile flash play section 27 and a display section 28.

When a user requests reproduction of a flash movie, the mobile inputdevice section 21 senses the request and transmits a request signal tothe MMI 22. The user can request the reproduction of the flash movie,for example by manipulating keys on a keyboard provided to the mobilecommunication terminal.

The MMI 22 comprises a task taking charge of handset MMI and receives areproduction request signal from the mobile input device section 21. TheMMI 22 loads a flash movie file that is requested by the user, based onthe request signal.

The communication bridge module 23 performs a communication with tasksin the MMI 22. In addition, it monitors navigation events such as menumovement in the mobile communication terminal. Additionally, thecommunication bridge module 23 makes the mobile flash engine section 24to control a handset device. The communication bridge module 23 can uselibrary functions of Java script Application Program Interface (API) andC-level provided by the mobile flash engine section when it monitors thenavigation event.

The mobile flash engine section 24 parses the XML document stored in thememory section 25 within the mobile communication terminal to perform amapping with the flash movie. In addition, the mobile flash enginesection 24 analyzes a corresponding parsed XML document according to thenavigation event such as menu movement in the mobile communicationterminal and applies the analyzed information to the mobile platforminterface section 26. Further, the mobile flash engine section 24supports the library functions of Java script API and C-level andperforms the handset device control through the communication bridgemodule 23.

The memory section 25 stores a program and data required for operationof the mobile flash engine section 24. In particular, the memory section25 serves to store a XML document (handset XML profile) that ispreviously defined for the handset and menu tree configurations. In thiscase, in the XML document, size and menu tree configurations of thedisplay section 28 of the mobile communication terminal can beconstructed as node and element in the XML.

Each of the menu trees may be grouped into a menu item and the menu itemmay be constructed of four attribute elements, for example, a Menu DepthLevel, a Menu String Token, a Menu Type and a Command. The attributeelements will be described in detail later.

The mobile platform interface section 26 receives the analyzedinformation of the XML document from the mobile flash engine section 24and transmits the applied information to the mobile flash play section27.

The mobile flash play section 27 converts the analyzed information ofthe XML document received from the mobile platform interface section 26into a format that can be displayed through the display section 28.

The display section 28 displays the converted information applied fromthe mobile flash play section 27 so that the user can see it.

Hereinafter, an operation of the mobile flash in the mobilecommunication terminal according to an embodiment of the invention willbe described with reference to FIG. 3.

The mobile communication terminal uses the mobile flash movie as a menuof itself using a XML document about the handset and menu treeconfigurations. Accordingly, the XML document (Handset XML Profile)about the handset and menu tree configurations is previously defined andstored in the memory section 25 within the terminal (S10).

FIG. 4 shows an example of a menu tree configuration of a mobilecommunication terminal. The menu tree configuration in the XML documentstored in the memory section 25 will be described with reference to FIG.4.

The menu tree shown in FIG. 4 consists of three steps of Depth Menus. Asa first Depth Menu, there are Message, Call Logs, Sound, Settings andOrganizer. As a second Depth Menu, there are SMS/EMS and MMS in acorresponding Message, and Received Calls, Dialed Calls and Missed Callsin corresponding Call Logs, and Ringing Settings, Message Alert and Keytone in corresponding Sound, and a Display in corresponding Settings,and Alarm, Scheduler, Memo, Calculator, Converter and Stop watch incorresponding Organizer. As a third depth, there are Creation and Inboxin corresponding SMS/EMS.

In the mean time, the XML document about the handset and menu treeconfigurations may be constructed as shown in FIG. 5. Regarding each ofnodes in FIG. 5, it can be seen that the tree configurations for LCDdisplay size and menu of the display section 28 are constructed as nodeand element in the XML.

In addition, in FIG. 5, each of the menu trees has at least one menuitem, and each of the menu items has four attribute elements consistingof a Menu Depth Level, a Menu String Token, a Menu Type and a Command.

The Menu Depth Level indicates how many level depths on the tree. TheMenu String Token is a title of the corresponding menu and this valueappears as an input value of text menu on the movie and can be used as amapping of the display screen in the flash. The Menu Type indicateswhether an elements corresponding to it has an offspring, and is a veryimportant factor in constructing the menu tree. The Command is an actioncommand to be used in the corresponding menu, indicates function andcommand for performing a function corresponding to it, and istransmitted to the communication bridge module 23 and used to request anecessary function.

FIG. 6 shows an example of the menu tree shown in FIG. 4 prepared with aXML document. Under state that a XML document having information ofhandset and menu tree configurations as shown in FIG. 6 is stored in thememory section 25 (S10), if a user requests reproduction of a flashmovie through the mobile input device section 21 such as keyboard andthe like, the MMI 22, i.e., the task taking charge of an existinghandset MMI receives a reproduction request signal from the mobile inputdevice section 21 and thus loads a corresponding flash movie file whichis requested by the user (S20).

The mobile flash engine section 24 parses the XML document stored in thememory section 25 and performs a mapping with the flash movie (S30). Atthis time, the parsed XML document is analyzed according to navigationevents such as menu movement in the mobile communication terminal (S40).

The mobile flash play section 27 receives the information analyzed inthe mobile flash engine section 24 through the mobile platform interfacesection 26 and makes the analyzed information to be outputted throughthe display section 28 (S50).

In the mean time, in order to smoothly perform the above-mentionedoperations in the mobile communication terminal, a communication isperformed between the mobile flash engine section 24 and the tasks ofthe MMI 22. The communication bridge module 23 may be provided for suchcommunication function.

Since the mobile flash engine section 24 supports the library functionsof Java script API and C-level, it embodies the communication bridgemodule 23 performing the functions of monitoring and transferring theevents using the library functions of Java script API and C-level andallows the module to control the handset device.

As described above, it is possible to construct and reuse the efficientmenu user interface by using the XML about the mobile flash and handsetinformation. In addition, it is possible to provide an easiness ofproducing a menu flash and a universal use way to a contents provider.Further, a user can personally construct and download a menu to themobile communication terminal.

While the invention has been shown and described with reference tocertain embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled inthe art that various changes in form and details may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as definedby the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for menu constructing of a mobile communication terminal, comprising: storing at least one menu item of the mobile communication terminal in a memory section; loading a movie file; parsing the menu item after the menu item is read from the memory section to produce parsed information; mapping the movie file with the menu item to produce mapped contents; and outputting the mapped contents through a display section.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapped contents comprise the movie file and the parsed information.
 3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: monitoring navigation events; analyzing the parsed information according to the navigation events to produce analyzed information; and displaying the analyzed information.
 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the memory section further comprises storing the at least one menu item in a form of an Extendible Markup Language (XML) document.
 5. A mobile communication terminal, comprising: a loading and monitoring unit to load a movie file and to monitor a menu movement; a memory unit to store information about a menu configuration of the mobile communication terminal; a parsing unit to parse the information about the menu configuration after being read from the memory unit to produce parsed information; a mapping unit to map the movie file with the parsed information to produce mapped contents; and an output unit to output the mapped contents through a display section.
 6. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 5, wherein the memory unit stores the information about the menu configuration in a form of an Extendible Markup Language (XML) document.
 7. A method for menu constructing of a mobile communication terminal, comprising: storing information about a menu configuration of the mobile communication terminal in a memory section; loading a movie file; parsing the information about the menu configuration after being read from the memory section to produce parsed information; mapping the movie file with the parsed information to produce mapped contents; and outputting the mapped contents through a display section. 